Wheel.



L. I. QQTPER.

WHEEL,

APPLICATION mum MAY 22, 1014.

1,119,403. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

2 SHEETS-811E311 1.

Fig. 4

Lyman PI ooper M. COOPER.

WHEEL.

nrmcnxox 111.21) In 22.4914.

1,1 19,403. Patented Dec. 1, 19M

2 BHBETB-BHBET 2.

- yman HCooper s'rairns PATENT OFFICE.

Frazer: m. coorsa, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, assxsnon or one-near o answer 'r.

man, or owosso, MICHIGAN.

WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

le n d c- 1. 1

Application filed May 22, 1914. Serial He ll-0,144.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN M. .Coornn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented oer? ta-in new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which. the following is a specifi cation, reference being had therein to the with a uniform tension upon all of the spokes, thereby insuring a perfectly balanced wheel,

A 'further'object of this invention is to provide astrong and durable vehicle wheel that can be advantageously used in connection with automobiles and bicycles, the

wheel consisting of comparatively few parts that can be accurately assembled and the wheel easily placed upon a spindle or axle.

' With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the draw.- ings, wherein.

Figure 1, is a vertical cross sectional view of a wheel partly broken away and-partly in section; Fig. 2 is a View of a portion of the inner end of the hub of the wheel; Fig. 3 is'a view of the outer end of the wheel hub, partly broken away and partly in sec.- tion; Figf i is a perspective view of the inner end of a detached spoke; Fig. 5 is a view of the outer end of a modified form of wheel hub, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a sleeve that has'one end thereof extending from the ends of said sleeve t a paint m'-p0K ,mlt'-liQ the. center of said sleeve, the center of said sleeve having a mark or designation 4 to guide a. workman 1n accurately assembling the parts of the.

wheel hub. The sleeve 1 has the periphery thereof provided with a plurality of longitudinal. key. ways 5 that intersect the screw threads 2 and 3.

Screwed upon the screw threads 2 and}; of the sleeve 1 are inner and outer hub members 6 and 7 that are retained in an adjusted position u on said sleeve by a key or spline 8 mounte one of the key-ways 5 0 said sleeve.

The inner hub member 6 has a flange 10 provided with lugs 11, and secured to said an e bv screws 12 or other fastenin means is a brake drum 13. This drum hasthe wall thereof cut away to provide clearance for the lugs 11 and said lugs receive any stresses or strains that would tend to shear the screws or fastcnin means between the brake drum 13 and the flange 10.

The inner hub member 6, intermediate the ends thereof, has a peripheral web 14 provided with a circular flange 15, which is directed toward the brake drum 13. The flange 15 has equally spaced slots 16 formed therein to receive the T-shaped inner ends 17 of wire spokes or rods 18. The inner ends of the spokes are retained in the slots 16 by a retaining ring 19 fixed or detachably secured upon an annular seat 20 provided therefor upon the periphery of the flange 15. The width of the seat 20 is less than the length of the slots 16, consequently the re? taining ring 19 engages the sides of the spokes 18 and coiiperates with the T-shaped inner ends thereo in preventing said spokes from becoming accidentally displaced.

The outer hub member 7 has a web 21, s okes 22, a retaining ring 23, and in additlon to this retaining ring, there is a circular plate 24: that is fitted upon the outer exteriorly screw' threaded end 25 "of the hub member '7'. Otherwise the outer hub member 7,is very similar in construction to the inner hub member 6.

The spokes 18 and 22 have the outer ends thereoi provided with heads 26 engaging in in a key-wav 9 registering with tinuity.

a felly, rim or tire supporting member 27.

the outer ends of the spokes being spaced in circumferential alinement.

The reference numeral 23 denotes an axle having a reduced end or spindle 29 providing an annular shoulder which is cut away toform lugs 30 adapted to engage in notches in the inner end of the sleeve 1, said lugs and notches constituting means for interlocking the axleiand sleeve for rotative con- The outer endof the sleeve 1 has notches 31 to accommodate a spanner wrench or suitable instrument whereby the sleeve can be rotated in the hub members 6 and 7. The outer end of the spindle 9.9 is' exteriorly screw threaded to accommodate a nut 39. and this nut retains the hub upon the spindle of the axle. The exteriorly screw threaded outer endof the'outer hub member 7 accommodates a cap 33, said cap engaging the circular plate 24- and assisting in maintain-.

ing said plate in "engagement with the outer hub member.

Before considering the construction disclosed by Figs. 5. and 6, it is thought best to rehearse the manner of assembling theparts of the wheel hub just described. After the outer ends of the spokes 18 and 22 are placed in the felly 27, the ends of thespokes are up-set and the material forming the ends of the spokes shaped'to engage in the 0 enings provided therefor in. the folly. The inner and outer hub members are then screwed upon the sleeve 1 until the confronting ends of the hub members meet at the mark 4 of the sleeve. The inner endsof the spokes are then placed in engagement with the flanges of ithe hub members, the retaining rings placed in position,- and then the sleeve 1 rotated whereby the inner and outer hub members will be evenly and gradually separated. 'As the inner and outer hub members are separated, the spokes'are gradually drawntaut and when a proper degree of rigidity is-;'reached, a key is driven home to lock the inner and outer hub members in their adjusted positions upon the sleeve. The sleeve 1 can then be placed upon the spindle 29 0i he axle 28 for rotative continuity .therewitlnsaid sleeve being retained upon the spindle by the nut 32.

As soon as the parts are assembled, a-split sleeve 34 can be sprung upon theconfronting ends of the inner and outer hub members. as best shown in Fig. 1, said sleeve protectingthe threads and 3 of the sleeve 1 and contributing to a neat appearance of the hub structure.

The hub shown in Figs. 5 and (i-has been especially designed for a wheel used upon a front axle, which is designated 35. This axle has a dust guard 36, a permanent ball race or collar 37, and a detachable ball race sleeve and to and or collar 38. The ball races 37 and 38 confront ball races 39 arranged in the ends of asleeve 40, and interposed betweenthe ball races of said sleeve and the ball-races of said axle are anti-frictional balls 41. The

. From the foregoing it will be observed that I. have devised novel means for assembling, ad ust1ng and maintalning taut the spokes of a wheel, and while in the' draw-- lugs there are illustrated the preferred em-v bodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to suchvariations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims- What I claim is: z

"1. In a-wheel,;the combination with an axle having a spindle, ofv a sleeve on said spindle and having external right and left hand screw threads at its respective ends,

hub members having screwthreaded engagement with said sleeve and confronting end portions of equal length adapted to be brought into abutting relation at a-point intermediate the ends of the sleeve by a rotation thereof. .a rim, and spokes having their outer ends connected to'sai'd-rim and their inner ends detachably connected to the hub members, whereby a reverse rotative movement of said sleeve will cause the hub members to simultaneously move equally away from said point and by their separating movement draw the spokes taut and center the rim relative to the said sleeve.

2. In a hub forv wheels, the combination with an axle having a spindle, of a sleeve arranged upon the spindle and interlocked with said axle, sald sleeve having right and.

left hand screw threads, hub members ad rotative movement thereof, and spokes hav-' ing the inner ends thereof detachably con nected to said hub members.

3. The combination with an axle having a'spin'd1e,of an 'exteriorly screw threaded sleeve arranged ;upon said spindle and adapted to inter-lock'with said axle, inner and outer hub members'adapted to be simultaneously shifted longitudinally of said from one anotherlby a rotative movement of said sleeve, means {for locking said hub members relative to said sleeve, slotted flanges supported by said ..justablelongitudinally of said sleeve bya inner and outer hub members, spokes having In testimony whereof I affix my signaglhe inner ends thereof arranged in sai ture in presence of two witnesses.

anges, retainingyin s mounted upon said flanges and engaglng Sa d spokes, and a split LYMAN COOPER sleeve supported by "said inner and outer hub \Vitnesses:

members and inclosmg exposed portions of ANNA M. Donn,

saidsleeve. Ur. E. MCGRANN. 

